Thursday, 7. 4. 2022

New, state-of-the-art laboratory system at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana

A new automated laboratory system for the analysis of blood samples was presented at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana. It is a high-performance and technologically most advanced system in primary health care in Slovenia.

The new system will significantly shorten the waiting time for diagnostic results for healthcare users and make work easier for the staff while providing them with greater protection against infections. It brings the most benefits to users of health services, as it allows for quality laboratory results in the shortest possible time. Urgent samples will now be easier to prioritize. The system uses smaller blood sample amounts and, in most cases, a smaller number of samples is required.

The system can perform over 50 different tests on 700 to 800 samples in one hour. The samples automatically travel to the analysers. On the intermediate modules, robots automatically open and close the tubes, centrifuge and store the samples in the refrigeration unit. Because there is less handling of the samples themselves, it is also safer for the work of the staff with regard to the risk of infection.

Integrated joint system

With four new analysers grouped in pairs and connected to an automated laboratory system with central control, we proceeded to combine biochemical and immunochemical analyses into an integrated joint system. Since the new system as a whole is 12 meters long, the space available so far was too small for it. Therefore, we joined two rooms, which also required the adjustment of plumbing and electrical installation and air conditioning. The value of the installed equipment is 1.5 million EUR.

During the laboratory renovation, the Community Health Centre Ljubljana did not have an alternative location, so the smooth workflow on the old analysers required a lot of planning and cooperation of the staff with teams carrying out the construction work and the set-up of the entire analytical system.

The Community Health Centre Ljubljana has thus acquired the most technologically advanced modern system at the primary level in Slovenia, which enables the adaptation of the work process to individual needs of the laboratory in real-time and high work productivity.